


The Candyman Can

by Tennyo



Series: In Dreams [3]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: 9x19 coda, Candy, Dreamwalking, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, Gabriel Lives, M/M, Metatron is a douche, Mild Angst, Singing, So Much Candy, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Willy Wonka (1971)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-06
Updated: 2014-05-06
Packaged: 2018-01-23 18:12:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1574855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tennyo/pseuds/Tennyo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam and Gabriel meet up in a dream, but whose dream are they really acting out?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Candyman Can

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to BeccastielDW for the photomanip! (I had lost the original with the title (Damn you Tumblr!) but thanks to Becca I found it hiding in her archives!)
> 
> You can read this on its own, or you can read [Part 2](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1539911) of In Dreams first.  
> For Extra Feelings, listen to the two songs in End Notes.

Sam pads barefooted down the hall from the bathroom to his bedroom, towel around his waist and another over his shoulders. He sees Dean shuffle into his own room, shutting the door behind him. Dean’s been looking better recently, but he can still see the tension he holds in his shoulders, the way he subconsciously moves around the mark on his forearm, as if each brush against it reminds him of what he is to become. Of course, dealing with the vampires just seemed to underscore just how bad Dean is affected by it, and how subtly it’s seeping in, until you see Dean get violent. Then it becomes more obvious.

It was nice getting to see Sheriff Mills… Jody, again. Sometimes it’s nice to know that not everyone they’ve dragged into this world has died, especially a woman. Although it was a close thing this time. He thinks of Ellen, Jo, Pamela, and tries VERY hard to not think about the women he’s been with who have died… Bad enough that the Lucifer hallucination had goaded him with the “Penis of Death”. He is glad that they were able to cure that girl (Ann? Alexis?) of vampirism and hopes that Jody can help her get her life turned around. Considering all that Jody’s lost, the girl might be able to help her, too.

Sam flops down on his bed, glad for a nice, hot shower after returning to the bunker. Dean makes fun of him and his long hair, needing an extra towel for his head now. Well, screw him, Sam likes it this way. Gabe likes it too, and commented that men used to keep their hair long, and lots of manly men have long hair, like Thor. Sam smiles at remembering how a couple of nights ago Gabe dream-pushed him into the Avengers movie with Sam as the thunder god. When Sam had asked about being in one of the actual Thor movies, Gabe made an odd face and said he didn't want to spend so much time as Loki, because he didn't like having black hair. He could tell there was more to it than that, but didn't push the issue.

This whole vampire thing in Sioux Falls has him light on sleep, and Gabe said it was more difficult to maintain a connection with Sam traveling, so they haven’t met since they’d left after getting Jody’s call. He hopes the archangel is still okay, and is frustrated that they still have no leads on where to find Metatron. It’s been really difficult even pulling from Gabe just how long he’s been held by the megalomaniacal angel or how he got caught.

With a sigh, Sam pushes off the bed and hangs up his towels, then digs through his drawers for a clean pair of underwear. He debates wearing a shirt, then decides against it, shutting off the light and crawling into bed. Without a second thought, he sends a prayer to Gabriel, letting him know he’s home, then closes his eyes for sleep. Even in the passenger seat, long drives are exhausting, and he soon finds unconsciousness.

\--------------------

Sam knows he’s dreaming, mostly because he’s gotten used to it by now. The world is all overexposed technicolor like the Wizard of OZ. Since the first time Gabriel appeared, they've been meeting this way because he says it’s easier for him to dreamwalk than to do whatever it was he did the first time. Gabe has a weird sense of fun; the first time they dreamwalked, they were in some really weird MC Escher-esque landscape. They found that movies are a good way to channel his creativeness without getting too… freaky.

Gabe waves to him from a grassy hilltop with a tree covered in pale blossoms growing at its summit. Dressed in his typical green jacket, button-up shirt, dark jeans and boots, he’s reclining against the base of the tree’s trunk, watching petals drift from the limbs above. When Sam reaches where Gabriel is reclining, he has to stoop under the branches. The angel holds out a hand to be pulled up, and Sam clasps it, helping haul him to his feet. Bouncing upon standing, Gabe gives the man a hug, giving him a squeeze and waiting for Sam to tentatively pat his back before letting go.

“Good to see ya, man! Those bloodsuckers give you a hard time?”

Sam can tell Gabe’s trying really hard to not check him for damage, even though this is just dream-space. But the angel is clinging tightly to the sleeves of Sam’s dream-shirt. That’s another good thing about meeting this way, Sam always shows up fully clothed. He tries to put on the most reassuring face he can, no need to get him upset when nothing can be done about being almost drained of blood.

“Nothing more than normal. Got tossed around a bit, the usual.” He sees Gabe’s eyes cloud over, and little worry-lines crop up over his brows. “But we’re fine, really. See?” He spreads his arms and does a slow circle, knowing the bruises and cuts won’t show on his dream-self, but it should reassure the angel.

He can see those golden eyes narrow, and just in case Gabe can see his real-life damage if he looks hard enough, Sam decides on distraction. “So, where we going today?”

Immediately, the angel’s eyes twinkle. “Your choice, Jolly Green. Pick one: Johnny Depp or Gene Wilder?”

Sam rocks back on his heels, confused. Making a face, he replies, “For what?”

Gabe huffs and rolls his eyes. “Willy Wonka! Classic, or New?”

Scrunching up his eyebrows and looking at the angel sideways, because he has no idea what’s going on. He says, “Wilder?”

A wide smile spreads across Gabe’s face, and he claps a hand on the man’s arm. “I knew I liked you for a reason, Sammy!” He spins in place, suddenly clothed in a purple velvet coat and brown top-hat, a big, fluffy tan bow tied at his throat and terribly patterned purple waistcoat. He has on khaki slacks and brown dress shoes, with a silver-tipped cane in hand. Holding an elbow out for Sam, he waits until the man grasps it and says, “Hold your breath, close your eyes, count to three.”

Sam does, and opens his eyes to see a perfect replica of the Chocolate Room candy garden from _Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory_ , 1971 version. Breaking into a wide grin, he asks, “Are you going to sing, too?”

Twirling his cane and walking backwards, Gabriel begins singing, dancing and twirling along the main path.

_“Who can take a sunrise, Sprinkle it with dew?_

_Cover it in chocolate and a miracle or two?_

_The Candy Man can 'cause he mixes it with love and makes the world taste good.”_

Laughing, Sam follows him deeper into the garden, watching the angel take a swipe of cream off the top of what should be a poisonous mushroom based on its coloring. The sweet smell of sugar permeates the air, and he watches the chocolate waterfall rush down into the river. Gabe bumps his elbow and he’s handed a teacup and saucer shaped like a daffodil. Taking a sip, he discovers it’s very sweet tea, and he finishes it in just a couple of sips. The angel watches him with eager eyes, and Sam chuckles before taking a bite off the rim of his cup to discover it’s pleasantly chewy.

Gabriel runs around, taking a bite of this or a lick of that. Grabbing a giant red gummy bear from a tree, he gnaws on an ear, making Sam laugh. Soon, he’s distracted by a bush of assorted candy fruits, and tosses the one-eared bear to Sam. Figuring since it’s just a dream and some sugar overload shouldn't hurt, he takes a bite from the un-chewed ear. A wonderful fruit flavor he can’t quite place fills his mouth and he chews happily, watching Gabriel lean across some rocks to fill a cup full of chocolate from the waterfall.

Sam wonders when he started craving this time with Gabe, when he started feeling so relaxed around the trickster angel that killed Dean over a hundred times for over a hundred Tuesdays. Of course the fantastic settings he gets in his dreams probably help with that, but… it’s something else. Actually getting to know the angel, learn his personality quirks beyond pranking dicks and his sweet-tooth, he’s found a kindred spirit. Gabe’s been on Earth in a vessel since Roman times. He knows so much about humanity and history. He’s seen scientific breakthroughs as they've happened.

Sure, he could be a bit of a douche with his trickster methods, but he was doing what he thought was the right thing by punishing those who had done wrong. And it’s not like he can’t learn from his mistakes, because he _did_ kinda-sort-of _die_ trying to stop Lucifer. Even at first, when he wasn’t sure if he could trust the angel, there was just this sense that he wanted to help, to get out of Metatron’s control. So it had become understood that Sam couldn't tell Gabe too much, just in case, and Gabe would try to give Sam clues about whatever he could. Unfortunately, trying to figure out sigils with charades and 20-questions was nigh impossible.

The last time Gabe came even close to drawing one of the sigils, he had collapsed, ears and nose bloodied, and he had to leave early, having activated some sort of alarm. And that’s the problem with angel sigils. You miss one little part, and it doesn't work. That’s how Gadreel ended up taking over his body and killing Kevin. And, now he’s off thinking about miserable things, instead of enjoying candy-land with Gabe.

Fingers snapping in his face bring Sam out of his funk, he looks to see Gabe looking worriedly into his face, a cup of chocolate in hand. “Hey, you looked like you were somewhere else there, bucko.”

Sam looks into the angel’s eyes, and they lock briefly, the gold irises almost seeming to glow. When he realizes he’s staring, he coughs and turns away, ducking his head and blushing slightly. “Uh, yeah, must have been in outer space for a moment there, sorry.”

Gabriel smirks and quips, “Don’t forget to bring a towel while you’re out there space cowboy.” Straightening up, he holds the cup of cooling chocolate in one hand and rubs his neck with the other. “Uh, here, drink this before it gets cold and hardens.”

Taking the cup, Sam briefly wonders about just drinking pure melted chocolate, but as soon as the creamy, thick liquid passes his lips, he can’t help but finish the cup. It’s sweet, but not overpowering, and the chocolate has so many underlying flavors he’s completely immersed in the taste. While he’s licking his lips, he realizes he’s been leaning on one of those cream-mushroom caps. Turning in a circle to see his stained backside, he makes Gabriel laugh. The angel comes up to him and swats his rear to make the goop magically disappear. Gabe’s laugh is infectious, and he can’t help but laugh along.

Sam’s still smiling when he sees Gabe staring at his mouth. The angel reaches up halfway before pulling his hand back and pointing to the corner of his own mouth. Swiping at his mouth with his palm, he sees a streak of chocolate when he pulls it away.

Gabe’s still staring, and mumbles, “You smeared it,” and licks his thumb, reaching to try to wipe the rest off.

Sam leans down to meet the hand halfway. Using his fingers under the chin to hold still, the angel quickly swipes away the last of the chocolate smeared at the corner of Sam’s mouth. Except he doesn't pull away immediately. The hand on his chin almost seems to pull him down, and his eyes settle on Gabe’s lips. But he drops the chocolate cup, and when it hits the ground with a thud, it pulls both of them out of whatever kind of trance they were in.

They separate quickly, and Sam looks out across the rest of the garden, trying to control the heat of his face. Gabriel swipes a hand over his hair, turns in the opposite direction, and announces, “I’m… gonna look and see what’s over there,” he waves a hand vaguely, “Don’t want to miss an opportunity like unlimited sweets while I have the chance, right?”

Sam just nods, finding a string of some kind of candy tree-moss utterly fascinating. He’s confused, because if he didn't know any better, he’d say he was attracted to Gabe. But that’s kind of silly, because if he was attracted to him, he would have noticed it in the beginning, right? The more Sam thinks about it, he hasn't really been physically attracted to him, necessarily, although Gabe -well, his vessel- is a pretty good-looking guy; but all he’s seen and done, that does fascinate him. So what, he’s attracted to the angel’s mind?

He shakes his head, trying to clear his mind of the thoughts trying to tangle in his brain. If he thinks too hard, he won’t get any real rest, since he’s dreaming and all. He learned that the hard way on the first night they tried getting information out of the angel in a dream. He woke up with a bloody nose. He realizes he’s at the edge of the garden and turns back, looking for Gabe.

He finds Gabriel slumped by the edge of the chocolate river, resting on a stump and flicking leaves into the river, watching them dissolve in the warm chocolate. As he gets closer, Sam can hear him singing slowly and softly, sounding as if his heart is breaking:

_“Wanta change the world? There's nothing... to it..._

_There is no, life I know, to compare with pure imagination_

_Living there, you'll be free, If you truly, wish... to be...”_

Sam can understand how he feels, if only a little bit. For a creature that can create anything he wants to be constrained to the will of another after thousands of years of doing almost whatever he wanted… He remembers what it was like during his time in Hell and shudders. Coming up to the angel so he doesn’t startle him, he whispers, “Hey,” and kneels next to him,seeing a forlorn expression. Gently sliding an arm around Gabe’s shoulders, he offers support the best way he knows how, by just being there.

Gabe closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, clenching his hands into fists. “I just feel so…” Opening his eyes, he spots a colorful ball of candy about the size of a large dog and smashes a fist through it. “Useless!” Smaller bits of some kind of rainbow-hued candy flow from the hole the angel made. The sight of even more candy doesn’t seem to be cheering him up. If anything, he looks like he’s about to cry.

Seeing Gabe this way, Sam can’t help but reach over and wrap both arms around him. The angel’s arms curl up around him, fingers clinging to his shirt at his lower back, his head tucked against Sam’s chest. Without even thinking, he gently rocks them side to side, petting Gabes hair. _He kind of smells like cotton candy,_ Sam thinks, and he wonders at seeing the cocky, snarky trickster reduced to a state of raw helplessness. If anyone has ever deserved to be taken down, it’s definitely Metatron. He pulls away a little, and tries to get the angel’s attention.

When Gabe finally raises his head, Sam presses their foreheads together and looks him in the eye. “Hey,” He places a hand on Gabe’s neck, “We’re gonna figure this out, alright?” Gabe nods slightly, a small smile on his lips. “There’s no reason to be upset when there’s all this candy to be eaten, right?” Sam can’t help but grin, “You’re not gonna make _me_ eat it all are you?”

That gets a real smile out of his angel, and Gabe tilts his head up, pressing a small kiss on his lips. Without thinking, Sam’s fingers tighten where he’s holding him, and he presses his lips back against Gabe's. If Sam doubted his affection for the angel, then this solidified it. Heart pounding, each new kiss makes him want more, the heady sweetness of Gabe’s mouth making him dizzy.

Gabriel tightens his arms around Sam’s waist, one hand grabbing Sam’s firm butt. He uses the responding gasp to deepen the kiss, exploring with his tongue. Sam digs his fingers into Gabe’s hair, giving as good as he gets and is rewarded with a low groan. Repositioning himself, Gabe twists around so that Sam is kneeling between his legs, and presses right up against him, letting Sam feel the growing bulge in his pants. It sends a tingle through Sam, who is equally hard, and he growls deeply, biting and pulling on Gabe’s lower lip.

Deciding that Gabe’s wearing too much clothing, Sam starts trying to figure out how to unbutton that damn ugly-ass waistcoat. Why the hell is the thing double-breasted? Gabe’s nibbling on his earlobe when his whole body goes rigid.

“Shit, shit, damn it all to hell!” Gabe pulls back, tugging Sam’s fingers away from the buttons.

Thinking it’s something he did, Sam tries to apologize, but Gabe stops him with a quick kiss. “They’re gonna realize… if I’m not conscious… Oh, hell…" With another quick peck on the lips, Gabe says, “This is NOT finished. See you later, sugarcheeks.” And with a snap, he’s gone.

Stunned, Sam sits back on his heels, uncomfortably turned on in a garden made of candy, realizing he has been making out with an angel. An archangel. Gabriel. With a half smile, he pulls his lower lip between his teeth, tasting and savoring the flavor left behind.

“And the world tastes good because the Candy Man thinks it should…” he whispers to himself.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Songs: Both are from the 1971 version of _Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory_.  
> [The Candy Man](http://youtu.be/EPIl0IJjBrw)  
> [Pure Imagination](http://youtu.be/RZ-uV72pQKI)


End file.
